Production is now underway in Sweden’s first large-scale agricultural park, owned and operated by Svea Solar. A power purchase agreement has been signed with a local vertical farmer for the electricity produced, while the farm under the solar panels will produce rapeseed, loam and wheat on a rotational basis.
Swedish solar energy company Svea Solar has developed Sweden’s first large-scale agricultural park.
The 6 MW solar park, located in the municipality of Gullspång in western Sweden, covers 13 hectares. It features a total of 8,680 panels installed as a 2P single-axis tracker system designed to withstand high wind and snow loads.
Work on the project started last November and the park was inaugurated at the end of last month.
A power purchase agreement (PPA) has been signed with a locally based indoor vertical farming specialist, Ljusgårda, who will purchase the energy produced for annual lettuce production. In the meantime, the land under the panels will be cultivated by farmer Ekoväx to produce rapeseed, ley and wheat on a rotational basis.
Pieter Godderis, Managing Director of Solar Parks at Svea Solar, explains pv magazine the project represents a “local sustainability trinity”. “For me it is an example of how solar energy can actually work in a local ecosystem that is very modern and sustainable,” says Goddersis. “We succeeded without a single kroner or euro subsidy, it is entirely the result of the collaboration between these three companies.”
The Swedish research association Solve will analyze how crop growth is influenced by growing between rows of solar panels.
Godderis says he is considering more agricultural voltaic projects in the future. “We are in dialogue with landowners with fertile agricultural land where there is cultivation, to see if we can have similar systems,” he explained.
In August, Svea Solar signed a cooperation agreement with Sveaskog, Sweden’s largest forest owner, to develop 2 GW of solar energy across the country over five years.
This content is copyrighted and may not be reused. If you would like to collaborate with us and reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
